Sakura-sensei
by AsofLate
Summary: When Sakura received a summons to Hokage Tower earlier that morning, she was sure that Tsunade-shishou was going to assign her a medical relief mission, or even a diplomatic one. What she did not expect, however, was the assignment of a Jounin Instructor. Non-massacre. SasuSaku. BigBro!Itachi.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

 **Hey,** _ **everyone** ** _!_ I wrote the first chapter in two days, and it's not edited**_ _ **. I've started on the second chapter, so hopefully, this one goes over well! I have so many ideas where I want to go with this. Enjoy!**_

* * *

When Sakura received a summons to Hokage Tower earlier that morning, she was sure that Tsunade-shishou was going to assign her a medical relief mission, or even a diplomatic one. What she did not expect, however, was the assignment of a Jounin Instructor.

"What? Shishou, you can't be serious."

Tsunade's eyes flashed. "I'm dead serious, Sakura. You're to meet your new genin squad tomorrow morning at 0800 sharp. Don't be late."

"B-but the hospital! Who's going to take over while I'm out supervising D-ranked missions? Shizune-senpai has her hands full here, and there's no one else qualified! I can't just abandon my duties, Hokage-sama!"

"It's already covered. Yamanaka Ino has agreed to be taken off active duty to see to the day-to-day operations of the hospital. Of course, Shizune and I will stop in periodically to make sure things are running smoothly, but it's nothing that you'll need to concern yourself with," Tsunade replied firmly.

" _Ino-pig_?! No. No no no. That's a disaster just _waiting_ to happen. She's not even a fully trained medic-nin! How the hell is she supposed to be responsible for an entire freaking hospital?! Besides, I can't be an instructor! I don't know how! What if I don't know enough jutsu to teach them? What if one of them dies out in the field? What if _all of them_ die out in the field?! I can't have that on my conscious. I just can't do it." Sakura was fully aware that desperation was making her voice crack. Still, she couldn't quite keep the panic she felt from squeezing at her heart and causing her fast-paced rambling.

She continued to list numerous ways in which assigning her a Genin Squad would be catastrophic until Tsunade finally had enough. The Godaime slammed her hand down on the desk, the loudness of it echoing across the room and abruptly halting whatever it was that Sakura was about to say next.

"This is not up for discussion. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be a need to recruit. However, due to the lack of instructors that volunteered this year, I had to pull a few of my more qualified jounin to train the next genin class. Take that as you will, but if I were you, I'd see it as a compliment."

Sakura tugged the ends of her petal pink hair and pouted.

Tsunade-shishou eyed her before sighing. Her tone softened as she said, "Please, Sakura. I trust that you'll make a fine sensei, and I have no doubt that you'll do whatever you can to keep your squad safe. That's all I can ask from _any_ instructor, willing or otherwise."

Sakura stared into her shishou's golden-flecked eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. Her shoulders deflated.

"Okay. I'll do it." Sakura held her hand out for the debriefing packet.

As Tsunade passed her the folder containing everything she needed to know about her students, Sakura couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. Tsunade dismissed her, and as she left the Hokage's tower, the packet clutched to her chest, she decided that, despite her growing unease, she'd have to give it her all. Her new students deserved that, at least.

Besides, how bad could it be?

Remembering her genin days with Naruto and Sasuke-kun, with a lazy Kakashi-sensei at the helm, she groaned aloud.

This was going to be a disaster.

* * *

The next morning, an hour before she had to pick her genin up from the academy, Sakura took a seat at the desk in her bedroom and opened the debriefing folder. The words blurred in front of her, most likely due to lack of sleep, so she shook her head to clear her vision. _I_ knew _I should have taken a sedative last night to knock me out_ , the pink-haired nin grumped. She was tired. When she should have been peacefully slumbering, readying her mind and body for the trials to come, all she did was toss and turn in nervousness.

 _Sleep deprivation is making me a tad dramatic_.

Sakura rolled her eyes at herself and began to read.

She skimmed the introduction paragraph before her eyes found the rules and regulations all instructors must follow.

 **Fraternization between teacher and student is strictly forbidden. If it is found that a teacher has taken advantage of a student, this crime is punishable to the highest degree of the law. The teacher will be stripped of all rankings, titles, and medals, dismissed permanently from shinobi duty, and faces up to a lifetime in maximum security detention. There are no exceptions.**

Sakura nodded her head. The first rule was completely reasonable, and she agreed with the punishment wholeheartedly. She moved on to the next one.

 **Uniform Regulations: All Jounin Instructors are to wear the standard shinobi uniforms. This includes but is not limited to: Long sleeved, sweat resistant shirt. Olive green flak vest. Tear-proof black pants. Standard shinobi sandals. Teachers must have at least one kunai pouch strapped to their person at all times, and it must be fully stocked. Teachers must tie their hitai-ate securely to their foreheads. There are no exceptions.**

Sakura snorted. No exceptions, her ass! She could count on two hands the amount of instructors she's seen violating the uniform code in some form or another. With an irritated sigh, Sakura heaved herself out of the chair and stomped to her closet. She removed her red and pink clothing before slipping her jounin uniform on. Before exiting her closet, she held her medical apron, debating whether she should put in on over her pants.

Shrugging, she put it to her waist and tied it off in the back. She _was_ technically following the rules by donning the appropriate attire. It even said in the text itself that she wasn't limited to just the standard uniform. Besides, she was a medic-nin first and foremost, so she was going to dress the part as well as she could.

Heading back to her desk, she swiped her hitai-ate and black leather gloves from her nightstand. She placed them next to the packet, ready to be put on when she finished. She perused the rest of the rules, occasionally nodding her head in agreement and snorting when she thought a code utterly ridiculous. Under appearance, especially. Sakura grumbled in annoyance as she deftly braided her long, pink hair because according to the code, hair longer than shoulder length had to be tied back neatly and efficiently so as to not become a hindrance in battle.

Of course, that was a standard shinobi regulation but rarely enforced. Sakura would have ignored it completely if her shishou hadn't inked in pen next to it, ' _I'm looking at you, Sakura!'_

Deciding that there couldn't be anything else that was detrimental to the development of her squad, she flipped to the back until she found the files of her students. First up, Uchiha Nozomi.

The top of her class, gifted in taijutsu, and from the description, would've given Sasuke-kun a run for his money in bukijutsu when he was that age. Superb chakra control, too. Sakura rubbed her face as she stared at the profile photo of the girl. Her dark, midnight hair was cut into a soft bob that curled around her chin; her eyes were a shade lighter than the locks framing her face. Sakura's gaze zeroed in on the twisted scowl of the girl's lips. _From the looks of her, she's sure to be just as moody and difficult as Sasuke-kun was, too,_ Sakura thought. She already had a headache.

She flipped the page and landed on Hyuuga Naoki. His broad smile complimented the sparkle of mischief in his lavender eyes, which was surprising to the medic-nin. She didn't think he was from the main branch since she's never heard of him before. She read down his description and frowned. Lacks ambition, prankster, average in ninjutsu. He wasn't even in the top 20 of his class? It was Naruto all over again! Sakura sighed in exasperation. She could only hope that he wasn't nearly as rowdy as her crazy but lovable teammate. She also wasn't very optimistic about being responsible for the children of the two most powerful and respected clans in the village. She could just _feel_ the heart palpitations coming on.

"Okay, last one," she muttered.

Kawata Reiji. His photo depicted red, spiky hair and a youthful face. Was he even old enough to graduate from the academy? His profile declared him to be 12, though, just like the rest. She shrugged and continued. Ranked sixth in his overall class, slightly above average in taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu, and according to a personal note from Iruka-sensei, suffered from eternal pessimism. He came from a small, unheard of clan that migrated to Konoha from Suna several generations ago, and there wasn't any mention of kekkei genkai.

Sakura scowled and tossed the packet away from her. She slipped her gloves and hitai-ate on before briskly walking out of her bedroom. She locked her apartment behind her and turned, only to barely avoid smashing her face into the chest of Uchiha Sasuke.

She squeaked and shuffled backward, hitting the door she just locked a little harder than she anticipated. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, his lips twitching in amusement.

"Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked. Her heart rate increased, which was her usual reaction when in the presence of her long time crush.

"My mother heard that you'll be taking on the role of jounin instructor. She asked that I deliver this bento." Sasuke handed her a box wrapped in floral cloth. "It's for good luck."

Sakura smiled and untied the knot at the top. She opened the bento and inwardly gushed over how thoughtful Mikoto-san was. The Uchiha matriarch packed colorful fruit that was neatly arranged, along with onigiri decorated like pandas and a myriad of her favorite sweets. Sakura had always preferred a light lunch, and Mikoto-san must have remembered that about her. She'd have to stop by the main house in the Uchiha compound this week to personally thank Sasuke's mother.

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun! Tell your mom I love it and I'll be around sometime soon to say hello." Sakura beamed at him.

"Hn. I will." Sasuke took a step toward the stairs. "Are you on your way to the academy? I'll walk you."

Sakura blushed and skipped to follow Sasuke, who continued without waiting for her answer. Once they made it out of the apartment complex and into the street, Sakura matched her stride with the Uchiha and studied him out of the corner of her eye.

He was so tall compared to what he was eight years ago when Team 7 first formed. Then, Sakura could look right into his dark eyes, but now, she had to crane her neck up just to glimpse his face. His hair was longer, falling to just below his shoulders, and Sakura wondered if perhaps he would grow it as long as Itachi-kun's. It would suit him, she thought.

"I haven't seen you in your shinobi uniform since the exams," Sasuke remarked, interrupting her side-eyed examination of him.

"Has it been that long? I guess I've been so busy with the hospital that I haven't gotten a chance to wear it."

Sakura, the last member of Team 7 to take the Jounin Exams, passed a little over two years ago. The first two tests she passed with ease; it was the final round that proved to be more difficult. She was matched with a nin from Iwa and he was definitely a tough opponent. However, with Sasuke-kun and Naruto watching from the stands, she refused to disappoint them and herself by failing. She barely defeated the Iwa nin as Naruto and Kakashi-sensei loudly cheered from their seats. She wasn't entirely sure if her exhaustion made her imagine it, but she swears she heard the usually quiet and composed Sasuke-kun shouting encouragement, as well. She'd like to believe she did, anyway.

Sakura continued. "You know, I don't think I've seen you in anything _but_ your shinobi uniform since you took the exams almost four years ago."

It was true, at least. The same pants, flak vest, and katana strapped to his back for the last three and a half years. The only thing that changed was his hair.

Sasuke grunted and didn't say anything else. They walked the rest of the way to the academy without speaking again, but to Sakura, it was a comfortable silence. She was happy that Sasuke took the time out of his busy schedule to want to spend these precious few minutes with her.

When she was younger, she had hoped that Sasuke might feel for her the way she felt for him. As she grew, however, she realized it didn't matter. As long as Sasuke was a part of her life, she could live, content. Lately though, Sakura was positive she was sensing a weird vibe coming from the reserved man she's loved for so long.

For the past several months, she's run into him on several occasions, whereas before, she had to plan a team dinner weeks in advance just to see him.

Every time she spots him in the market on her way home from work, he makes a beeline for her and insists they spend time together. They mostly end up at Ichiraku, where Naruto inevitably strolls in half way through their meal, dragging a willing Hinata and a not-so-willing Sai behind him. Once, she caught Sasuke walking the opposite direction of her when she just left the hospital. She called out to him, and he immediately crossed the road, as if he expected it to happen. He was carrying a basket full of goods he had just purchased at the market, and when Sakura inquired about it, he insisted his mother sent him to do some grocery shopping. The strangest part about that night wasn't that Sasuke demanded she follow him to their old training grounds, but the moment when they arrived and settled beneath a large Sakura tree, and Sasuke pulled out freshly made sandwiches and sides. Like he planned it. Wouldn't that be considered a date? How utterly absurd was it that she believed Sasuke-kun might've taken her on a date! Right?

Sakura shook off her speculations and willed her heart to stop racing. They reached the entrance of the academy and Sasuke turned to her. "I'll be going. Hokage-sama sent a summons earlier, and I'm late."

Sakura did a double take. "Wait a second. Out of all the years I've known you, you've never intentionally arrived late to a mission debriefing. What gives?"

Sasuke's stare was suddenly intense. The air felt charged around her as Sakura was caught in dark eyes. The moment lasted for several moments and left her oddly breathless. His eyes flickered then, just barely, but it was enough to break the trance she was under.

What happened next stunned Sakura so much, she practically fell over. Sasuke lifted his arm, and taking his pointer and middle fingers, poked her right in the middle of her hitai-ate, in the exact spot of the hidden leaf insignia.

"Later."

Sasuke was already walking away, waving a careless hand in the air while the other was shoved into his pocket. Sakura, mouth hanging open in shock, raised a shaky hand to her forehead and traced her fingers over the spot Sasuke had touched. _W-What?_

"Yo."

A lazy voice snapped the medic-nin to attention. She whipped her head to the side and saw Shikamaru standing next to her, arms crossed and head tipped back, as if he were studying the sky.

Sure that her face was flaming in embarrassment, Sakura managed a quick 'hi' before hightailing it to the doors. Shikamaru followed at a much slower pace, but still somehow entered at the same time as her.

"Looks like the Uchiha finally got a clue," the lazy genius mentioned casually.

"What? What does that even mean?"

Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."

Sakura hurriedly changed the subject. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"The same reason as you, I'd imagine."

The pink-haired woman was surprised. Nara Shikamaru, lazy boy, cloud-watching extraordinaire, volunteered to be an instructor? Sakura had a hard time believing that. He barely made it to the monthly tactical unit meetings with the Godaime as it was, and she highly doubted he suddenly took the initiative to train a couple of brats to become ninja. Sakura opened her mouth to voice this when Shikamaru beat her to it.

"Before you undoubtedly ask, I didn't volunteer. Hokage-sama roped me into it."

The pair reached Iruka-sensei's classroom and leaned against the wall. They waited around with the other instructors for their old academy teacher to let them in.

Amused at sharing the same unfortunate fate with a comrade, Sakura asked, "How did she do it?"

Shikamaru sighed. "A month's vacation once my squad passes the Chuunin Exams."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me?! She _bribed_ you?"

He shrugged and walked into the classroom. Iruka-sensei stood in the doorway, ushering in the instructors and directing traffic for those who were exiting, their new genin squad in tow.

Seething, Sakura stomped past the rest of the jounin waiting to be let inside, leaving them bewildered and a little intimidated by the obviously angry apprentice to their esteemed Hokage. They were well aware of what happened when rage met the physical strength of those two.

For her part, Sakura couldn't _believe_ her shishou stooped as low as bribery! Especially considering the fact that she didn't offer Sakura a damned thing! If Hokage- _sama_ was going around handing out bribes, the least she could have done was throw a bone to her _loyal_ student.

As Sakura stewed in her anger, the classroom slowly emptied until only three students remained. She had to give them credit for not saying a single word while she stood there, arms crossed and tapping her foot. She knew she looked visibly upset, with her brows furrowed and her eyelids scrunched together tightly. Maybe they thought she was on the verge of crying? Ha! If she were on the verge of anything, it would be literally tearing through the walls of Hokage tower and demanding an explanation from her shishou.

Once Sakura felt calm enough to address her students, she opened her eyes. Instead of staring at her with a mix of respect and fear, like she'd imagined, her students were _completely_ ignoring her.

Hyuuga Naoki was seated right next to Uchiha Nozomi, with one of his hands holding his chin and the other tracing a heart over and over on his desk. He gazed at the Uchiha girl dreamily, and Sakura swore she saw a little bit of drool slip from the corner of his mouth.

Nozomi also had her chin in her hand, her sight set on the view outside of the window. By the fierce scowl adorning her face, she was clearly annoyed by the unwanted attention she was receiving from the boy next to her. Sakura was reminded of her academy days when it was she drooling over an Uchiha. Heh.

Lastly, she found Kawata Reiji on the opposite side of the room, near the front. His hands were clenched together on his desk in front of him, and Sakura didn't miss the sour look he was shooting to no one in particular.

Sakura noticed that all three already tied their hitai-ates to their foreheads.

Adopting a determined look, Sakura spoke. "Kawata Reiji. Uchiha Nozomi. Hyuuga Naoki. We are now officially recognized by the village and the Hokage herself as Team Fourteen. I'm Haruno Sakura-sensei."

Sakura prepared herself for a response and found that she would not be receiving one. The brats even had the nerve to stay slouched in their positions! She clenched her fists. She didn't work so hard for eight freaking years only to be disrespected by a few genin fresh off the block!

"HEY!" Her voice boomed across the room, the echo rattling the windows. It was a little trick her shishou taught her years ago. Basically, Sakura used her chakra to enhance her vocal chords. It didn't require a lot of effort, and it was much like the process of sending chakra to her fists to cause catastrophic damage. Tsunade-sama used it during meetings when she was faced with a room full of people trying to speak over one another.

The technique worked. All three of her students snapped to attention as the last of the echoes faded. Sakura glared at them.

"My first impression of you… is that you're all idiots."

The pink-haired nin smirked inwardly as she received the reactions she was hoping for. Hisses, glares, and an extremely indignant "hey!" tied together in a chorus of voices. She crossed her arms and smiled.

"Well, if you're all offended that much, I guess you'll just have to prove me wrong. Follow me."

She flipped her braid over her shoulder and mosied out, secure in the knowledge that all three brats were shuffling out after her. _Now I know the amusement Kakashi-sensei felt when he successfully rattled us_ , Sakura thought gleefully.

She lead her students out of the academy and down the street, straight to the training grounds. As they walked, civilians and shinobi alike greeted her when she passed. Her students eyed each interaction silently, but Sakura hoped they noticed how well-liked and respected she was around the village.

When they reached the tree that she and Sasuke shared a meal under, Sakura motioned for them to sit and did the same.

"Before we begin, I'd like to do introductions." She stared at her students. "Likes, dislikes, goals, dreams, things like that."

Nozomi scoffed as Reiji shot his hand up.

Sakura addressed him. "Would you like to go first, Reiji-kun?"

The red-haired boy frowned. "I was gonna ask if you'd start, sensei. I don't want to mess up."

Sakura eyed him a moment before agreeing. "Okay. My name is Haruno Sakura, apprentice to the Godaime Tsunade-sama and respective member of former Team 7, now under the name Team Kakashi. I'm an active duty jounin medic-nin, and while not on missions, I run the hospital. I like… Well, it doesn't matter what I like."

"My dream is to become as strong as my teammates, so that I'll never be considered a burden again."

Sakura decided to finish with that. There was no need to continue what was sure to be a sob story. She cleared her throat. "Reiji-kun, now that you know what's expected, why don't you go next?"

He nodded slightly and began. "My name is Kawata Reiji. My clan originated in Suna before coming here. I like to be left alone. My goal is to make it through my first mission without dying. That's it, I guess." His face turned solemn with his last sentence.

Sakura was _definitely_ going to have to work on this kid's outlook on life. Although, for now, she was happy to get through their first day relatively unscathed.

"Right. Naoki-kun?"

"Ah! Yes, yes, let me go," Naoki laughed, running a hand through his short, brown hair.

"I'm Hyuuga Naoki, and I'm totally not even _close_ to being considered main branch in my clan. It's alright though, because one day I'll show all those stuck up pricks how strong I am. I like to walk around the village and people-watch, especially when Nozomi-chan is out, because then I can just watch her." He sighed as his eyes glazed over. Honestly, Sakura thought that was a pretty creepy thing to say, but she didn't really have any room to talk, considering the way she trailed after Sasuke-kun when she was Naoki's age.

Sakura also wasn't sure why Naoki held such animosity toward the main branch of his clan, but maybe it was a similar reason as the one Hyuuga Neji has. In any case, she knew that not all of the main branch was stuck up like Naoki said, because Hinata-chan was seriously the most kind and selfless person she'd ever met in her life.

"Do you have any goals or dreams?" Sakura asked the Hyuuga.

"I think it'd be cool to be Hokage. Or Nozomi-chan's husband. If I had to choose, I'd go with Nozomi-chan's husband, for sure."

Sakura clapped her hands together, "Okay! Speaking of Nozomi-chan, why don't you round us out, hm?"

The Uchiha girl scoffed again. "I am called Uchiha Nozomi. I don't have time to have likes or dislikes, and I certainly don't have time to entertain weirdos that practically stalk me." She glared at Naoki when she said this.

Sakura laughed awkwardly. "Do you have any goals or dreams, Nozomi-chan?"

"One day, I will marry Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura choked on her spit.

Out of all the shocking things Sakura was told in the last several days, that one most _definitely_ took the cake.

 _Kami help us._

* * *

 _ **The second chapter should begin to address how each character fits with the Uchiha clan still alive and kicking. For example, how Sai became part of Team 7. Also, I realized that I never mentioned the bento that Sasuke gave to Sakura again lol. I'll figure out what the hell she did with it and incorporate it into the next chapter haha. Naruto will make his appearance in the next chapter, as well. Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Uchiha Fugaku absolutely despised clan meetings. They always seemed to end the same way: drawn out and lacking solutions to the ridiculous amount of problems the elders cooked up. Then, when Fugaku was finally able to call the meetings to an end, the elders _insisted_ on tabling their issues for the next one. If the Uchiha patriarch could sigh in frustration, he would. However, as the head of the clan, he was expected to regard each and every topic in a serious manner.

The latest complaint, however, caused a reaction out of his eldest child, to which Fugaku was wholly surprised. No one else would have noticed, for Itachi was a master of remaining composed, but he was also his son, and Fugaku knew his offspring like the back of his hand.

Uchiha Tadashi, who had to be at _least_ one hundred years old, was currently ranting on about the sensei of the newest Uchiha to join the shinobi ranks.

"It's ridiculous! The girl is only twenty years old, not to mention she's a _medic-nin_ , for kami's sake! The Hokage is out of her mind if she thinks assigning some girl from no respectable clan to speak of to the Uchiha clan's next prodigy is a good idea!" A chorus of agreement rose up around the room.

Itachi caught Fugaku's eye before lightly replying, "Youth and lineage do not negate experience and skill. Haruno Sakura has studied under the Hokage herself, one of the most powerful shinobi of our time."

Mikoto piped in from Fugaku's other side. "Not to mention that Sakura-chan has trained with an Uchiha since she was twelve years old. If anyone is qualified to teach an Uchiha, it'd be her, no?"

A voice came from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. "What say you, Fugaku-sama?"

Fugaku pretended to think on it. Of course, there was no need for him to debate the issue. Although he never really spoke to the girl, he thought highly of her. Both of his sons respected her as a person and a shinobi, and she had always been polite and gracious toward him. There was no question about it; she would stay Nozomi's sensei.

His facial expression neutral, Fugaku addressed the clan. "The matter of Haruno Sakura's clan is irrelevant. She has been trained by both Tsunade-sama and Hatake Kakashi; this more than makes up for what she lacks in familial status. The fact that she is a highly-skilled medic-nin would undoubtedly be beneficial in regards to Nozomi's health and safety. The Uchiha clan will no longer question Hokage-sama's decision to put Nozomi in the care of Sasuke's teammate."

A few grumbles could be heard from the less enthused clan members.

"If there is nothing else that needs to be discussed, this meeting will adjourn."

Fugaku's clansmen began to shuffle out of the room, and he stood to leave as well. He motioned for his wife and son to follow, only to be halted by Uchiha Takahiro, Nozomi's father.

"Fugaku-sama, may I have a word?"

Fugaku nodded, and Itachi continued to lead his mother outside to wait.

Takahiro was Fugaku's third cousin, and although the two men had never been close, Fugaku respected him, which was why he promoted the man to second-in-command of the police force. The Uchiha patriarch noticed that Takahiro must have come straight from the station, considering he still donned his uniform.

"I don't mean to undermine the decision of the Hokage or yourself," Takahiro began. "However, Nozomi is my precious daughter, and I worry. Tell me, will it truly be a good idea to the let the Haruno girl train her?"

Fugaku lifted his hand and placed it on Takahiro's shoulder. "Set your mind at ease, cousin. I have no doubt that Nozomi has been placed in good care. To further alleviate your worries, I will invite Haruno Sakura to the Uchiha compound and introduce her. You will see then that this outcome was indeed the right one."

"Of course, Fugaku-sama."

Fugaku patted his shoulder once and left to meet Mikoto and Itachi. He did not notice Takahiro's expression darken, nor did he catch the man make eye contact with Tadashi before they quietly disappeared behind a door. Fugaku was wholly unaware of the trial his son's teammate was about to face.

Halfway to the main house, Itachi spoke. "Chichi-ue. This was the first time Haruno Sakura was discussed at a clan meeting, but it will not be the last."

"Is that so?" Was Itachi implying that the girl would not be as efficient a teacher as the three of them had presumed?

Mikoto giggled behind her hand. "Haven't you noticed, Anata?"

Fugaku looked at his wife and raised an eyebrow.

The Uchiha matriarch clicked her tongue at his obliviousness. "Sasuke-kun has been spending an _awful lot_ of time with his female teammate lately."

"Ah." Fugaku finally understood. "When shall I expect an uproar concerning Sasuke's decision to marry outside of the Uchiha?"

Mikoto burst out into laughter, and even Itachi cracked a smile at Fugaku's premature conclusion.

"There's no need to worry yet, Chichi-ue. Otouto has barely begun to court her."

"Yes, and if he's anything like his father, it's going to take _years_ before we see any real progress," Mikoto joked.

Fugaku hummed, his lips turning up slightly.

Content, he lead his family the rest of the way home.

* * *

"Naruto, I'm being serious! The damned Uchiha girl _actually_ said aloud that she was going to marry Sasuke-kun. How the hell did my rival in love turn out to be a 12-year-old girl?!"

Sakura looked at her blonde teammate desperately. She sat next to him at Ichiraku's, and he was slurping his ramen happily, clad in his usual orange and black jumpsuit.

"Sakura-chan, you know I'm not the smartest guy around," Naruto said around a mouth full of noodles. She wrinkled her nose as food particles landed on the counter in front of them, but didn't interrupt as he continued. "But Sasuke-teme isn't gonna date a kid, even if she's an Uchiha. Besides, you're pretty much the only girl he can stand."

"Yeah, thanks Naruto," Sakura grumbled. She picked at her cooling noodles with her chopsticks.

"What about the other two? What are they like?" Naruto slid his empty bowl away and waved for another helping.

Sakura groaned. "It's so awful! Reiji-kun is all doom and gloom and Naoki-kun doesn't take anything seriously. In fact, that Hyuuga reminds me a lot of _you_."

She glared at him.

Naruto laughed and said, "Hey, if he's anything like me, it's gonna be a blast! Don't you worry, Sakura-chan, you'll be an amazing teacher, and I'm sure if anyone's gonna perk that gloomy kid up, it'll be you! Dattebayo!"

Sighing, Sakura threw a few bills on the counter to cover her meal and stood.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked, tucking into the steaming bowl of ramen that was just placed in front of him.

"Back to the training grounds. We breaked for lunch, but now I have to go test my genin on teamwork."

Naruto gasped. "You're doing the bell test?"

"Not quite." Sakura smirked and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Reiji was skeptical when he left his house to return to the training grounds. His sensei gave them two hours to rest and eat before they had to take some sort of test. She wouldn't say what it was, but the red-headed boy had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy.

He muttered to himself as he dragged his feet along the dirt road. He wasn't looking forward to whatever ninja task was in store for him. In fact, he wasn't looking forward to becoming a ninja, period.

He had always been a small child, frightened of everything. His father was a gruff chuunin, and after tolerating years of his son climbing into bed with his parents because he was afraid of the dark, the man enrolled him into the academy. Reiji had no say.

Despite his reluctance, there _was_ one thing that training to become a shinobi taught him. Although he hadn't grown much, he wasn't the same frightened child his father used to scorn so much. Attending the academy, Reiji learned quickly that if he always expected the worst possible outcome, there was nothing to be afraid of. Of course, this type of pessimistic attitude cost him. He had no friends, and few adults felt an obligation to tolerate him. He was fine with that, though. He didn't need anyone.

Or so he constantly told himself. Reiji scowled.

The red-headed boy was almost to the meeting spot when a rough hand planted itself between his shoulder blades.

"Yo! Reiji, was it?"

Reiji cut a glare toward Naoki, who removed his hand and rubbed it through his brown hair.

The smaller boy sighed. "What do you want?"

"What do you mean, 'what do I want?' We're teammates, dude. I thought we could walk back to the training grounds together." Naoki frowned.

"More like Nozomi threatened you until it forced you to leave her alone and seek me out."

"Yeah, pretty much," Naoki said, dejected.

Reiji could see the Sakura tree in the distance. He put a hand in front of Naoki, halting the other boy's steps.

"Look," Reiji began. "We may be teammates, but we're _not_ friends. I'm not here to create bonds with people that don't give a shit. The only thing I'm concerned about is surviving long enough to keep my father off my back. You understand, yeah?"

Naoki laughed. "Man. Ya know, your meek little display in front of Sakura-sensei really had me going. ' _Oh Sensei, please go first, I don't want to mess up! Oh Sensei, please just leave me alone!_ '"

Naoki walked a few feet ahead of him. He stopped, but didn't turn around. Reiji stared at his back as the Hyuuga said, "If you don't want to be here, leave. There's no room in the ranks for a guy who can't even stand the thought of becoming a ninja."

Reiji scoffed. "Yeah? And what about you? It's not like you take this gig anymore seriously than I do! If you did, you'd be worried about more than following Nozomi around all day like some creep!"

Naoki turned slightly. Reiji could see the smile on his face, but noticed his lavender eyes were hard.

"Unlike you, I'm not afraid to reach out to the people I care about. I'm not afraid of disappointment. You don't want any unnecessary bonds? Fine. But don't think you'll last long in a world like this without someone to lean on."

Naoki left him.

Reiji glared at the ground. What the hell did the Hyuuga know? He wasn't afraid of disappointment! He wasn't afraid of _anything_. He took care of that useless emotion years ago. So then why were his hands shaking so badly?

Reiji clenched his fists and followed in Naoki's wake.

He crested the hill and saw that he was the last one to arrive.

As his bright blue eyes looked upon his newly formed team, his expression hardened. He didn't need them.

He didn't need anyone.

* * *

Nozomi sat with her arms crossed, refusing to look at the pathetic excuse of a squad she was forced to call hers.

Sakura-sensei was sitting in front of them, meditating. Nozomi didn't know how long they'd been under that damned tree, wasting time, but it was long enough to cause an irritated tic in her eye.

At least Naoki-teme was quiet, for once. It was unusual considering that anytime she was in the vicinity of the annoying brunette, he'd talk her ear off for hours. It was was nice to be alone with her thoughts.

"Nozomi-chan."

Dammit! She jinxed it.

"What?" The Uchiha growled.

"What you said earlier… About Sasuke-san. Why do you think you'll marry him someday?"

Nozomi cracked an eye open. Both boys were staring at her, and even Sakura-sensei was paying attention now.

The Uchiha sighed in exasperation. "It's not that I _think_ I will, it's that I _know_ I will. Hundreds of years have passed and the clan-head's family has _never_ externally married. Therefore, the only contenders for marriage to Sasuke-sama and Itachi-sama are Uchiha. There's too much of an age difference between Itachi-sama and I, so that leaves Sasuke-sama. I may not be able to marry the next head of the clan, but I _can_ marry his brother, and that's the next best thing."

Naoki sputtered. "W-what the hell?! What makes you so special that you'd even be considered as a contender?"

" _Because_ , moron, haven't you heard? The Uchiha clan regards me as their next prodigy. It would only make sense that I wed another important and powerful Uchiha. Besides, _you_ think I'm special enough to stalk me all day." Nozomi laughed humorlessly. "Sasuke-sama is my ticket to becoming the closest I'll ever be to ruling over my family."

"So Sasuke-kun is nothing more than a means to an end?" There was an edge to Sakura-sensei's voice.

Nozomi shrugged. "Call it whatever you like, sensei."

Nozomi's facial expression remained nonchalant, but inwardly, she was frowning. She knew her sensei was Sasuke-sama's teammate, but she didn't like how the medic-nin called him Sasuke- _kun_.

Nozomi spoke of Sasuke-sama as nothing more than a play for power, but really, she liked him. A lot. However, she'd never admit that aloud, and she _certainly_ wouldn't mention how she came to see him in a different light.

She was six years old and had wandered into the forest lining the outskirts of Konoha. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there, or where her parents were, but she does remember the sharp smell of pine and the cold, slithering tendrils of fright creeping up her legs and making her heart pound.

She ventured through that dark, ominous forest for hours, crying out for her okaa-san, wiping her flowing tears away with dirty fingers. She thought she would die in there, all alone, before Sasuke-sama came.

He swooped down from the highest tree branches, landing in front of her without making a single sound. His eyes glowed red from their famed kekkei genkai, and the sight of his sharingan eased her fear. She was safe.

He scooped her into his arms, holding onto her tightly as he ran, and she remembers clutching her hands around his neck, her face buried in his shirt. He smelled of sweat, fire, and something else that was uniquely his. It was a comforting scent, she knew.

Sasuke spoke to her for the first time that day.

"Don't worry, you're safe. I won't let anything hurt you." His voice was deep and melodic.

Nozomi sniffled then, her tears slowing as she hung on to his every word.

"Do you promise?"

"Ah."

He delivered her to her frantic parents, but she never forgot the promise he made that day. Although time, distance, age, and circumstance separated them, she still didn't forget.

She just hoped he didn't forget, either.

Sakura-sensei interrupted her thoughts. "Enough talk about marriage. Shall we start?"

"What exactly are we starting, anyway?" Naoki asked, stretching his arms above his head as he stood with the rest of them.

Sakura-sensei smiled innocently, but Nozomi saw the mischievous glint in her emerald eyes. "Today, I'll test your skills as shinobi. You three will partake in a scavenger hunt; the two who gather the most items within a sixty minute time frame will continue your journey as genin. The one who has the least items at the end…"

"Will be sent back to the academy." Sakura finished.

"WHAT!" Naoki shouted.

Reiji glared at the medic-nin. "You can't do that! We've already graduated. The academy won't take us back."

Sakura-sensei, staring at her nails, shrugged. "Then I guess that unfortunate person won't be a ninja at all."

The boys continued to complain. Nozomi didn't react. She already knew she'd be the winner of this ridiculous test.

"There are a few catches, though," Sakura-sensei said.

Nozomi glanced up. What could this half-baked medic-nin possibly throw her way that she wouldn't be able to handle? The Uchiha smirked.

"The items you're to collect won't be easily obtained. Each item belongs to a formidable shinobi. They will not part with it easily. You'll have to use stealth, and in some cases, fight for it. Meanwhile, you'll also have to watch out for _me_ , as I'll be randomly attacking each of you."

Nozomi now felt skeptical. This wasn't going to be as easy as she first thought. No matter, though. She still wasn't going to be defeated by the two losers gaping at their sensei.

Sakura-sensei formed a hand sign. "Good luck!"

The pink haired nin disappeared, leaving the three of them to stare at each other.

"How the hell are we supposed to know what it is we're collecting?" Reiji asked, annoyed.

Nozomi silently agreed. Was this some sort of joke?

Suddenly, a medium-sized slug appeared beside her, a piece of paper hanging out if its mouth.

"Aw, gross!" Naoki exclaimed, pointing at his own slug.

Nozomi rolled her eyes and plucked the paper from the slimy creature at her feet. She read down the list, each item getting more ridiculous as it went on. Whatever, she thought.

"Later, losers." She took off in a run.

Her first item: Shiranui Genma's senbon.

* * *

Sakura sat high in a tree overlooking the front gates of Konoha, waiting for Genma-san to return from his latest mission. His senbon was the first on the list she gave her students, so it was likely that one of them would pursue this item immediately. She knew he was due to return to the village today, and she thought perhaps her students would also somehow find out that little tidbit of information.

Her stomach rumbled. She regretted not eating her bowl of ramen when she was with Naruto earlier.

"Oh! Mikoto-san's bento!" She remembered.

She dug into the deep pocket on the inside of her flak vest. She pulled out the bento and opened it, popping a fresh strawberry into her mouth.

Ten minutes into her espionage mission, Genma-san finally strolled through the gates, stopping to chat with Kotetsu-san and Izumo-san.

She continued to munch on her treats and watch Genma-san relay a story, gesturing wildly with his hands, when she felt a spike of chakra. She masked hers quickly before leaping to a tree closer to the action to get a better look.

Uchiha Nozomi leaped over Genma's head, flipping mid-air and landing in a crouch in front of him. He had been leaning against one of the gates' pillars, thoughtlessly chewing his senbon, before he clearly felt Nozomi's chakra flare and straightened to his full height.

Nozomi was now facing away from Sakura, the Uchiwa fan on the back of her blue sleeveless top standing out dramatically. The Uchiha and Genma-san must have exchanged a few words, but no sooner than Genma raised an eyebrow at whatever the girl said to him did she sprint into an attack.

Nozomi swiftly pulled a few shuriken out of the pouch on her thigh before leaping into the air and letting them fly.

Kunai appeared in each of Genma-san's hands, and he was able to block the shuriken from hitting their mark. He immediately sprung backward, avoiding the kick aimed for his head, and the pair began to engage in rapid taijutsu. If Sakura weren't a ninja herself, she wouldn't have been able to follow their movements as well as she did.

Nozomi didn't have a lot of reach, but she made up for it in quickness. The Uchiha girl launched her fist toward Genma-san's chin in what would have been a beautifully executed uppercut, but Genma-san was a seasoned fighter and dodged before it could make contact. Nozomi followed through with a spin kick, landing a hit on his thigh. Genma-san grunted before dropping low, kicking Nozomi's feet out from under her.

As Nozomi fell, she twisted her body, causing her to land on her stomach instead of her back. She smacked her hands against the dirt and flipped upward, aiming her foot at Genma-san's face, but all she caught was air.

"Have you had enough?" Genma said loud enough for Sakura to hear.

Nozomi let out a short battle-cry and charged, forming hand seals along the way.

" _Katon: Karyuudan no Jutsu!_ "

A small but compact stream of fire erupted from Nozomi's mouth, surprising Genma-san as well as Sakura. _Nozomi-chan_ _must train quite a bit to be able to release such a controlled jutsu_.

" _Suiton: Suijinchuu no Jutsu!_ "

Genma-san's defensive water jutsu pillared up just above his head, curving over him as the flames of Nozomi's technique reached him. The stream of fire slammed into Genma's wall of water, causing steam to immediately form and cloud the area.

Both ninja on the ground ceased their techniques, and Sakura squinted, trying to see through the white mist.

A small, dark form moved through the thick steam, and before Genma-san could even register what was happening, a fist planted itself right into his gut. Not only did it knock the breath out of him, it also loosened the senbon in his mouth to where the thin but deadly weapon went flying to the ground. Nozomi hurriedly picked it up and bolted farther into the village before Genma-san could attack again.

Sakura stashed her empty bento back into the pocket of her flak vest and dropped to the ground just as the recent battlefield cleared.

Genma-san stood there, looking shocked as hell, while Kotetsu-san and Izumo-san scratched their heads in confusion.

"I was _definitely_ not expecting that," Sakura said, walking up to Genma-san.

He shook his head and grinned. "That's one hell of a student you got there."

He pulled out another senbon from his pouch and stuck it between his teeth.

"Thanks again for agreeing to this. I sent out at least thirty slug summons and barely got enough replies in time. I guess that's what I get for doing it last minute." Sakura scratched her cheek, laughing sheepishly.

"No problem, Sakura-chan. Anything for my Shizune-chan's little duckling," Genma-san replied, pinching her other cheek.

Sakura slapped his hand away. "Alright, alright. This little duckling has some kiddos to scare. Tell Shizune-senpai I said hello!"

With that, she sprinted into the village, intent on finding her first victim.

* * *

For the second time that day, Naruto entered through the flaps of Ichiraku's.

"Ayame-chan! Can I get one order of beef ramen?"

"Sure thing, Naruto-san!"

Naruto just began to tuck into his meal when Sai plopped down next to him.

"Dickless," Sai greeted.

"You're almost as much of a bastard as Sasuke-teme," Naruto said between bites.

"So I've heard. Where's Ugly?"

The orange-clad ninja slurped the rest of his noodles. "Training her genin! Where've you been?"

Two fresh bowls were placed in front of the pair.

"On a mission. I never knew Ugly wanted to be an instructor."

"She didn't," Naruto said, chewing thoughtfully. "I think she'll want to eventually, though. She doesn't have much of a choice, anyway."

"Oi, by the way, have you seen Yamato-taichou lately? Sakura-chan mentioned to me a few weeks ago about trying to get a team dinner going for this month since we haven't had one in a while."

Sai wiped his mouth with a napkin delicately. "I haven't. Why do you two insist on including us? It's not like we're original members of Team 7. We've substituted a few times and that's it. Quit trying to involve us in your escapades."

Naruto pointed an angry finger. "Hey! Shut your mouth, asshole! Once a member of Team 7, _always_ a member of Team 7, and don't you forget it! Whether you like it or not, you're one of us, _dattebayo_!"

A sigh escaped from the artist's mouth. "In that case, pay for my meal, Dickless."

With that, Sai stood and left the ramen stand.

Naruto spluttered. "Sai, you bastard! Get back here!"

Naruto slammed his money on the counter and ran out after him. A tremor suddenly rocked the ground, causing the blonde to lose his footing and crash into Sai's back.

"What the hell?!"

Naruto peered around his teammate. Facing off in the middle of the busy street was none other than Sakura and her student, Hyuuga Naoki.

A crack in the road branched out from Sakura's ninja sandal, leading to Naoki, who looked as if he barely regained his footing.

Naruto rubbed his hands together, cackling in glee.

"This is gonna be good!"

* * *

 _ **Yay for second chapters! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorited this story! It means so much to me!**_

 _ **Unfortunately, no Sasuke this time. He'll be back from his mission in the next chapter, though! I wonder if he'll find out about the evil plan Uncle Takahiro is cooking up with that old coot Tadashi...**_

 _ **I want to give a special shout out to**_ **ChronicallyChill. _If you guys haven't checked out her story,_ The Planning of a Matriarch, _I highly suggest heading on over that way. It's an amazing story full of SasuSaku moments, our favorite! Plus, her writing is seriously on point. You're freaking flawless, _ChronicallyChill! **

_**Thanks again everyone, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_


End file.
